Week 1

[linkupmods]

WEEK 1

AWAKENING.

You were taken. That much is obvious when you come to your senses and see the world around you. You feel a little groggy – just how long were you asleep for? – but you should otherwise be alert, enough to realize that the surrounding area is unfamiliar to you. You are in front of what appears to be a modern dormitory (or, well, just a large building, for anyone who's never quite seen anything like it before). The area is decorated with balloons, streamers and other miscellaneous decorations with a giant "WELCOME" banner spanning across the front entrance.

You have a moment to look at the people around you. Strangers. No one here looks familiar to you whatsoever. Furthermore, it feels like there is something stirring in your heart, waiting to be brought to light, waiting to speak your truth...

You might need more time to let that sink in, but that time is interrupted by a voice.

"Oh wow it actually worked- Um, I mean! Hello!"

The speaker is a short, plain-looking young woman with dark hair in a bob cut, her hand raised to catch everyone’s attention.


"Welcome to Sunset City! The goddess Braphine needs your help, so she’s called all of you here to fix this place. Fortunately, it should only take about three months of cooperation, I think? Probably. So...

Welcome to your new home away from home!"

The young woman - Mina - goes on to explain the current situation: everyone here has been summoned by the goddess of community and connection, Braphine, in order to rebuild the connections of the people of Sunset City. Lately, the people have become more and more isolated from each other, getting into fights and arguments over the pettiest of details.

While Mina doesn’t know the details, exactly, what she does know is that the goddess instructed her to prepare these dorms for residents ("that’s you!") and to more or less act as her representative. Mina will also note that everyone’s dorm rooms have already been labeled with their names, and that the goddess has deigned to gift some in particular with the means to defend themselves - which is to say, when characters do eventually make it to their dorm rooms, those who did not arrive with one will find their gifted weapon waiting for them with their name handwritten on a tag attached to the item.

For now, people can use their phones to access an app that will allow them to see any currently open commissions - complete the commissions, and they will not only help the community, but also earn money and rewards! And if your character doesn’t know how to operate a phone, well... Mina will patiently guide them through the process, don’t you worry.

If your character has any other questions, they may talk to her at the party, or otherwise contact her via phone!

WELCOME PARTY.

After speaking with Mina, you may have an idea of what you're supposed to be doing here. Things don't have to be all work, though, because despite the state of the city, you are allowed to have fun and get to know one another.

Mina has graciously set up a welcome party for everyone, which will have refreshments inside and outside the dorm, and games available for people to partake in throughout the day at their own leisure! Indoors, there are a variety of board games for you to mess around with. Outside, there's a pool, basketball and tennis court set up with appropriate equipment. Of course, you aren't limited to just those, as there's a small open field at the dormitory where you can play ball in other ways, too. Interestingly enough, there are also some training dummies available for you to use...maybe to put your weapons to use?

Don't forget about the arts and crafts section inside, either, where nametags are laid out for you to create your own (or others')! You can also use this section to create decorations for the dormitory, your room, or even something to give to a fellow dorm mate.

EXPLORE.

You're free to explore the town, too, at your own leisure, to get used to your new home. The city is bustling with people, but for some reason, many of the residents don't have good vibes. They seem unsettled, unhappy for whatever reason. It's not pleasant, but nobody will go out of their way to bother you, unless you trip into them or initiate pvp yourself.…The random trash scattered around various parts of town might make it hard to avoid the former, though. Be careful not to trip on a banana peel, a stray canister, or even something as large as a throwaway tire on the side of the street. The residents will not react positively if you try to interact with them in any capacity.

That being said, for all that the city seems gloomy at a first glance, there is surprisingly an advertisement for a go-kart racing contest coming up in three weeks, and the go-karts are two seaters! The flyers posted around town read that this is a competition for pairs; the driver's seat (left) has a gas pedal, and the passenger's seat (right) has the brake. Looks like the events are being hosted by one of the popular arcades in town, too. Even so, there are prizes for first, second, and third place; the grand prize consists of a good amount of cash, a trophy, and one (1) free night at one of the hotels in Carnation Court for both people. Why not team up with someone and enter the competition, or just find some people to practice with?

(OOC: Please see our OOC section for sign up details.)

NETWORK.

So, about those phones...there's a non-zero chance that you may post your live thoughts onto the network without meaning to. Likewise, you may also unwillingly comment on someone's post with your thoughts while reading it. Yes, this phone grabs from your psyche, for better or worse! Well, mostly worse, but oh well. There isn't a fix for this "bug" just yet, but you can still use the network intentionally! Just don't be surprised if you get a bunch of notifications for a post you didn't even know you made.

COMMISSIONS

TOP MODELS

A local boutique is looking for people to model their clothing, but they plan on taking group photos instead of single shots. This will be a summer-themed photoshoot with summer outfits (not necessarily swimsuits!), and the photographer (who is cranky, sorry) plans on encouraging all kinds of interactions between their subjects for some unique photos. Participants will be able to keep the outfits they wore for the photoshoot! How nice.

CLEANUP

You've seen the questionable state of the city streets. Should you feel like doing your part by cleaning up some of the trash, you may find something valuable hidden in all the rubble. And who knows? Maybe some of the residents might actually respond kindly to your efforts... (Cleaning up can unearth things like jewelry; collector's items; small, old electronics -- just to give you an idea! Go wild.)

PVP ENABLED

Basketball, volleyball, soccer match anyone? Monopoly? Uno? Or, better yet, a sparring match with your fellow dorm mates…? Whatever you feel up for, Mina would like residents to get some friendly ("friendly") competition going in the spirit of getting to know one another.

LEAVE YOUR MARK

The arts and crafts area has a large paper canvas taped to one of the walls with a "DRAW ON ME!" post-it stuck to it. There's a lot of room to be creative with this, and yes, you will get paid for just decorating the dorms a little bit through this commission!

OOC

READ ME!!!!

• Welcome to your event log! Currently, Personas and Elements are NOT in play but you have your weapons with you regardless. These things will be unlocked when we introduce the Nekyia in Week 2.
  
• Please use the OOC PLOTTING POST for all plotting purposes. Please do not plot in Discord.
  
• If you would like to sign up for the Go-Kart Contest, please fill out the form and submit it here! There will be a follow up to this in a Week 4 mini event. :)
  
• Furthermore, we have a very big series of events we are planning to do in later weeks. We will OOCly give details and open signups early in Week 2, with the introduction of the Nekyia. Keep an eye out for that as well!
  

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Comments

[silentfury]

[Huffing at that, Yuri takes his helmet off and gently sets it on the floor next to him. If he could punch that sarcastic heart off the end of Aaron's words, he would.]

[imperiosity]

[Okay but watch this turn into a fistfight before the cards are even dealt--

In any case, it says a lot about Yuri's personality that he did take the helmet off, so Aaron can respect that much. But because he an asshole who can't stop running his mouth:]

So you've actually got a face under all that, huh? But with a mug like that, can't say I blame you for wanting to keep that thing on.

[sorry Yuri, he's just being a stupid shitchild...]

[silentfury]

[A soft sound akin to a growl escapes from Yuri's throat. His hands curl into fists, and for a moment it looks like he's going to reach over and try to sock Aaron in the mouth... but he takes a deep breath and manages to center himself.

With another huff, Yuri points at the deck and holds his hands out. Deal, sucker.]

[imperiosity]

[His eyes narrow a little when he sees Yuri's movements, body tensing up automatically even though the taunting smirk doesn't leave his face. But when the only thing that happens is a gesture to start dealing, Aaron just shrugs a little and does a final shuffle before doling out the cards.]

Fine, fine. I getcha, big guy. You're not big on trash talk.

[After laying five cards face-down on Yuri's side and dealing out another five to himself, he sets the rest of the deck aside before reaching over to grab a bag of hard candies. After unceremoniously dumping it all onto the table, he slides Yuri's half of over to his side of the table.]

Pretty lame to do it this way, but since we're all broke here, this'll have to do for bets. Unless you've got any better ideas?

[silentfury]

[Yuri's not as broke as you think he is, Aaron. At least if you count currency from another world. With a hefty jingle, Yuri pulls out a sack filled with gold coins and places a few on the table for each of them.

Candy and currency, a strange yet effective combination.]

[imperiosity]

Heh.

[That certainly makes things more interesting. As expected, the currency that Yuri lays on the table isn't one that Aaron recognizes. However, if they're going to up the ante, then he's more than willing to play along by pulling a few 1000 mira bills out of his wallet and adding it to their respective piles. Without any conversion rate between the two currencies, it's hard to say what this all ends up amounting to, but there's an easy solution to all of that.]

Alright, we'll say your coins are worth 50 points, my bills are 25, and these things [the candies, that is] are worth 1. That sound good to you?

[silentfury]

[Yuri holds one of the bills up to the light, looking at its details with interest before setting it back down in its place. He nods in agreement.]

also lmk if you have a pref for how this plays out!

[imperiosity]

[The bills sure do feature a picture of Some Dude, along with the watermarking typically found in paper banknotes. In any case, once Aaron sees Yuri's nod, he's more than ready to get started on this game.]

Then let's get this show on the road!

[Anyway, he'll finally slide the cards over so he can pick them up see what he's working with. At the very least though, it is clear that Aaron looks right at home with those cards in his hand, expression betraying little but the usual confidence that rolls off him.]

no preference!

[silentfury]

[Yuri's expression is as blank as usual as he takes a look at his cards. With little fanfare, he puts forth one bill, one coin, and five pieces of candy as a bet.]

thumbs up! coin toss tells me that aaron loses, so!!

[imperiosity]

Call.

[And he'll slide an equal number of their makeshift chips over.

In any case, as the game goes on, it'll be apparent that Aaron isn't all talk and that he has the skills to back it up. Even so, it'll also be noticeable that he has a tendency to make a number of large and risky bets -- sometimes when his hand warrants it, and sometimes not -- one of which eventually does him in.

So here he is, sitting on his end of the table as he looks over at Yuri's side, which is where their little mélange of items are all gathered up.]

Tch. Guess I underestimated you, big guy.

[silentfury]

[Huh, would you look at that! Talk shit and get hit, it turns out. Still, it wouldn't feel right for Yuri to gloat. Instead, he reaches out to shake hands with his opponent.]

[imperiosity]

[If anything, he's used to more self-congratulatory opponents, and even the ones that didn't fall into that category weren't typically this formal anyway. This is why his initial reaction is to just raise an eyebrow at the gesture, although he will lean over to accept Yuri's hand. His grip is firm but he keeps it brief -- so before long, he's already reclining back into the couch and folding his arms behind him so his palms meet the back of his head.]

Damn, man, you could at least look a little happy. You always this grim or is today just special?

[silentfury]

[He's not grim Aaron, he's just autistic.

Yuri simply shrugs at that. Emoting isn't something he has to deal with when living in the forest, and townsfolk tend to give him a wide berth due to his stature and the intimidating aura he gives off.]

[imperiosity]

[rip at no bracket text privileges for aaron

There's a small sigh when he sees Yuri's shrug, and he scoots over to one side of the couch so he can reach for a bowl of chips on a side table and plop it on the one between the both of them. They're not the snacks he'd prefer to have at the moment, but they're good enough for now.]

Anyway, any reason I haven't heard a peep outta you since we started playing? Doesn't seem like you're just giving me the silent treatment.

[Unlike some of his earlier remarks, there's no mockery or flippancy in his tone; rather, he says it plainly, like he's stating a simple fact.]

[silentfury]

[Yuri silently sighs. This guy is persistent, isn't he? He goes to sign that he can't talk, but stops himself and grabs something to write with. On the back of one of the playing cards, he simply writes:

I'm not grim. And I'm not giving you the silent treatment. I can't talk.]

[imperiosity]

[Yuri is correct to go for a writing utensil instead, since Aaron definitely wasn't familiar enough with sign language to interpret it, even if he could probably recognize what was going on.

In any case, he seems satisfied enough when he sees that response and just reaches over to grab a few chips from the bowl.]

All right, cool. So, you play cards often, big guy?

[silentfury]

[It was probably dumb to write on the back of the playing card, now that Yuri thinks about it. But... too late, oh well! On the bottom half of the defaced card, he continues:

Only when I head into cities or towns, which is every once in a while.]

[imperiosity]

[Meh, it's not like Aaron would criticize!! Live your best card-defacing life, Yuri.]

Huh. You a cabin in the woods type guy? Not really my scene, but green spaces have their appeal every now and then.

[silentfury]

[Yuri nods and rotates the card ninety degrees. We're not wasting any empty space here! After a quick few moments, another message is revealed to Aaron:

I live among nature and protect it, yes.]

[imperiosity]

So, park ranger? Sounds kinda different when you put it like that, though.

[Yuri also certainly doesn't fit Aaron's image of one, because he's pretty sure nowhere in Zemuria is 'shirtless with a helmet' a part of any organization's dress code.]

[silentfury]

[Well, one quadrant to go! Might as well fill the whole thing out. Yuri writes, spins, and slides the card over:

I'm not sure what a "park ranger" is, but it sounds like an occupation. What I do isn't that, it's most of my life.]

[imperiosity]

[Yep, definitely not a park ranger.]

Dunno anyone who does that where I'm from. You get people who like roughing it, but if they're out there otherwise, it's usually for work reasons.

[silentfury]

[Annnnd Yuri has run out of space on this card. Whoops. He eyes another one, decides 'fuck it, the deck is ruined anyway', and starts writing:

Trust me, I like it. Not having to deal with people is a boon most of the time. But regardless, this is a task given to me by someone important, and I will not forsake it for anything. That's why I need to get home.]

[imperiosity]

['if they didn't want people ruining decks they shouldn't have kidnapped us etc'

Remaining in seclusion isn't something Aaron himself would want to deal with, but different strokes and all that. But at that part about having something to do back home? Yeah...... yeah.]

That goes for you, me, and probably most of the crowd here. [He clicks his tongue before falling silent for a bit, demeanor turning serious.] You believe the kid when she says we'll be able to go back?

[silentfury]

[Aaron brings up a good point, but Yuri has a bit less doubt than the redhead does. Rotating the second card, he continues writing:

We don't have much of a choice. But if there's one thing I know about gods, it's that their strength is beyond comprehension. If Braphine has the ability to call us here from other worlds entirely, getting back should be similar.]